The principal road that connects the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and rest of the Pakistan with its northern part is in shambles
The IJP Road acts like a jugular vein not only for the residents of the twin cities, but for the country at large. However, during the last two years the road has been ruined, mainly because the heavy trucks that use the road adversely affected the road and reduced its lifespan. However, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has also proved negligent to maintain the road as it has failed to perform the necessary repairs.
Recently, CDA has undertaken an initiative, on the direct orders of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to rehabilitate the roads of the capital. A Rs 1 billion budget was allocated solely for restoration of the roads of Islamabad. Many roads of Islamabad have been re-carpeted, many others have been overhauled and the patches and potholes were filled with bitumen. The affluent sectors were given preference over the middle class sector as the carpeting was started and finished firstly in F-sectors, then G-sectors and the work to rehabilitate the roads of I-sectors is yet to begin.
Since February this year the CDA plans for expanding, up gradation, restoration of IJP Road have been heard time and again. But not a single act in the rehabilitation of the IJP Road has been observed so far.
With an estimated traffic of 200,000 vehicles per day, the craters, potholes and the general dilapidated condition of the road is responsible for many accidents, some of which have taken many lives.
“I commute daily from my home in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi to my office in Blue Area, Islamabad and for the past 5 years the condition of IJP road has been steadily deteriorating. When it rains the road becomes even more dangerous. I request the higher-ups at CDA to kindly restore this road as soon as possible as it is becoming increasingly dangerous to drive on it,” said Owais Butt, an engineer while talking to Pakistan Today.
A senior officer of CDA, on condition of anonymity, confided in Pakistan Today that eventually the road will be built, firstly the roads of the posh sectors were restored and then the restoration trickled down to the less affluent areas. “The work on IJP road will start in the next few months, at present the work on roads in sectors of Islamabad is in the final phase and the personnel and machinery will soon start working to restore the road,” he said.
